In 2024, the EU faces a crucial moment in shaping its approach to asylum, migration, and integration. The political context reflects an increasing focus on security and border management which requires to strength the protection of human rights. This shift is driven by ongoing global challenges, including war, conflict, displacement, and climate change, which have pushed migration to the forefront of the EU pollical agenda.
The Pact on Migration and Asylum, introduced in 2020, remains at the centre of the EU’s strategy for managing migration flows. It aims to balance responsibility across Member States, focusing on strengthening external borders and improving asylum procedures. Under the new European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, the focus has shifted even more towards securing borders while ensuring human rights. The new guidelines stress that while effective border management is crucial, it must not come at the cost of solidarity and human dignity.
Several civil society organisations (CSO) have raised important concerns about the implementation of the Pact . Criticisms include the use of surveillance technologies in migration management, arguing that this compromises privacy and disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, or the emphasis on accelerated border procedures and detention, advocating instead for more humane asylum processes. CSO stress the importance of rights-based integration policies, calling for stronger measures to combat discrimination and promote inclusion.
At the last European Migration Forum in December 2023, then now former EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, emphasised the need to shift the narrative on migration. She highlighted the economic contributions of migrants and warned that stopping migration would be disastrous for Europe. Johansson underscored that integration should not be about assimilation, but about building communities where migrants belong and contribute. She also stressed that fighting smuggling networks must go hand in hand with ensuring legal pathways for migrants and refugees .
In this context, local projects like EPIC-UP play a key role to work with municipalities, civil society, and migrants to create inclusive policies that promote integration at the grassroots level. This approach aligns with the EU’s broader commitment to fostering cohesive communities where migrants can thrive while upholding the values of dignity and equality. EPIC-UP shows how practical, local efforts can bridge the gap between policy and lived reality, helping to ensure that migration benefits both Europe and the people who come here.
As 2024 unfolds, the EU must continue to balance security concerns with the need for fair, humane migration policies, working closely with CSOs and NGOs to uphold its commitments to human rights and inclusion.
References
Pact on Migration and Asylum – European Commission (europa.eu)
https://commission.europa.eu/about-european-commission/towards-new-commission-2024-2029/president-elect-ursula-von-der-leyen_en
Joint statement: The new Pact on Asylum and Migration: An Opportunity Seized or Squandered? | European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)
The EU Migration Pact: a dangerous regime of migrant surveillance – PICUM